Remember way, way, way back in the first season, when Locke explained to Walt the origins of Backgammon. He said it was one of the most ancient games ever invented; that paleontologists have dug up old Backgammon boards in Mesopotamia.

Wouldn't it be epic if it turned out that Jacob and MIB used to play Backgammon together and the "inside joke" is precisely that? Jacob used to always and only play as white, MIB as black. It's a metaphor for the larger "game" that they're playing, and MIB's chucking the white rock into the ocean was basically saying "ha ha, you lost, I won."

i love inside jokes. i really hope to be a part of one someday....

-Michael Scott

Remember way, way, way back in the first season, when Locke explained to Walt the origins of Backgammon. He said it was one of the most ancient games ever invented; that paleontologists have dug up old Backgammon boards in Mesopotamia.

Wouldn't it be epic if it turned out that Jacob and MIB used to play Backgammon together and the "inside joke" is precisely that? Jacob used to always and only play as white, MIB as black. It's a metaphor for the larger "game" that they're playing, and MIB's chucking the white rock into the ocean was basically saying "ha ha, you lost, I won."

Maybe the entire show is just a big game of backgammon...

i love inside jokes. i really hope to be a part of one someday....

-Michael Scott

HA!

I always wanted the game of go to be featured in the show somehow. I can see Jin and Sun playing it, as the game is very popular in Korea, where it's known as baduk. Black and white stones...would fit perfectly.

I have always thought the show was a big game of chess and the losties were pawns... until last season when I became convinced the series would end with Jack and Locke playing backgammon on the beach just like jacob and MiB were doing with the Black Rock.
The point is to collect all the other guys' pieces. The white player collects the black rocks and vice versa. Strikes me quite interesting that this could be a metaphor for souls --good (white) and bad (black). When you get the other guys stones, on your side you win! Smokey convincing Sayid to come to his side... Richard comes to Jacob's side, etc...